Door actuated ticket dispenser

ABSTRACT

A remote controlled, automatic ticket dispenser for sweepstakes or the like has a single elongated horizontal straight stretch of an endless registration pin chain to register and advance each ticket of a web of tickets, the stretch being advanced by a sliding door. On retraction of the door a ticket is exposed for inscription. On advance of the door the chain is advanced to deliver the ticket. Pawls, or detents, and toothed racks are provided to assure full opening and full closing of the door before the direction of the door can be reversed.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Donald R. Richer Manchester, NH. [211 App]. No. 25,891

Primary ExaminerStanley H. Tollberg Atmrney-Pearson and Pearson [22] Filed Apr. 6,1970 [45] Patented Oct. 12, 1971 [73] Assignee Fort Howard Paper Company ABSTRACT: A remote controlled, automatic ticket dispenser f DOOR ACTUATED TICKET DISPENSER or sweepstakes or the like has a single elongated horizontal straight stretch of an endless registration pin chain to register and advance each ticket of a web of tickets, the stretch being advanced by a sliding door. 0n retraction of the door a ticket 6 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

is exposed for inscription. On advance of the door the chain is advanced to deliver the ticket. Pawls, or detents, and toothed racks are provided to assure full opening and full closing of the door before the direction of the door can be reversed.

PATENTEUUCH 2mm 3512372 sum 2 BF 4 l'NVI-IN'IOR Fig 4, DONALD R. RICHER PATENIED UB1 12 l97| SHEET 30F 4 m? mm m 5Tb 33 ET. 3 3 3 j 3 D 3 M mm mm o: in fi g L? m u 6 m2 \T N Y mm 0 ow 5 mm mm 3 w NN ow mm 8 3 INYI'IN'IUR DONALD R. RICHER PATENIED 001 1 2 l97| SHEET 0F 4 IN'WIN'I'UH DONALD R. RICHER ATTORNEYS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to apparatus for intermittent and controlled dispensing of segments from a supply roll and is particularly useful for a secure dispensing of tickets directly to a customer without the need of a ticket salesman.

In general, prior art devices have been wanting in ticketadvancement control. For example, some devices pass the web of tickets over a drum which, depending on the type of paper, humidity, etc. tends to impart an undesirable curl to the paper and make its precise path after it leaves the circumference of the drum somewhat variable. Such devices can lead to jamming or crumpling of the web within the machine or other malfunctions of the apparatus.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,464,302 to Hirsch of Sept. 2, 1969 is typical of drum-type registration pin feed apparatus, the tickets having only a short tangential contact with the drum, so that registration could be lost. Endless chain-type registration pin feeds have been proposed for web feeding in numerous patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,073,497 to Castelton of Jan. 15, 1963. In the Padmac sweepstakes ticket dispensing machine of Granite State Machine Company, Manchester, N.H., the assignee hereof, made and sold since about 1965, a pair of such registration pin chains were provided which I have found to be unnecessary, costly, and unduly complicated.

Other devices have been generally rather complicated and expensive to manufacture and/or have not been sufficiently secure to prevent tampering. For example, positive means are required in such machines to assure that the doors through which the purchaser writes his name on the ticket are secure. To this end the doors must be securely ciosed before the machine can be reused by another purchaser and the ticket advancement mechanism should be interlocked efficiently with the door-operating mechanism to provide that the door is allowed to move through full opening and closing movements but prevented from reversing direction during such movements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore it is an object of the invention to provide novel ticket-dispensing apparatus comprising a novel ticket-advancing and ticket-registration mechanism.

It is another object of the invention to provide novel and effective means for intercontrolling the operation of the ticketadvancement mechanism and the manually slidable door through which the customer may write on the tickets he is purchasing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a foolproof and thiefproof ticket feed mechanism, utilizing only a single, elongated stretch of a pin chain on one side only of the perforated web in combination with an access door slidable along the stretch path plus detents and pawls operable along the stretch path to prevent misuse or malfunction.

Still another object of the invention is to provide apparatus adapted to positively advance a web of tickets without jamming the tickets within the machine, or losing control of registration.

Other objects of the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art on reading the instant application.

The above objects have been largely achieved by construction of an apparatus for dispensing tickets which utilizes ticket advancement mechanism wherein a single elongated, pin-carrying, chain stretch is actuated for advancement by a resiliently mounted pawl which, in turn is mounted for movement with a slidable door. The door is manually operated, e.g. by the ticket purchaser, to enable the operator to write on the tickets prior to the removal of his copy of the ticket from the dispenser. Also mounted for movement with the door are a pair of pawls and paw! actuators, each pawl cooperating with a rack, a pawl actuator and a pawl stop mounted along each side of the door to assure the complete opening and complete closing of the access door before its direction of movement can be changed.

ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION In this application and accompanying drawings there is shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention with various alternatives and modifications thereof, but it is to be understood that these are not intended to be exhaustive and that other changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the invention. These suggestions herein are selected and included for purposes of illustration in order that others skilled in the art will more fulIy understand the invention and the principles thereof and will be able to modify it and embody it in a variety of forms, each as may be best suited in the condition of a particular case.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a plan view of the machine shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the machine shown in FIG. I.

FIG. 3 is a schematic section of the machine shown in FIG. 2 along the line 3-3 shown therein.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of an advancement module useful in the apparatus shown in FIGS. I through 3.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the module shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the module shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the left front of the advancement module with the cover cut away to expose the advancement mechanism.

FIG. d is a fragmentary perspective view of the right front of the advancement mechanism.

FIGS. 9a and 9b show the pawl actuation mechanism used in the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. I through 3 there is seen a ticket dispensing machine, or unit, I2 that comprises a main housing M including within its confines: a ticket storage tray I6, which will normally contain a supply of multiple-copy tickets I? in a continuous web I8 folded back upon itself many times: a ticket-advancement mechanism 2b over which there is an inverted U-shaped sliding door 22 covering an inscription access aperture 2I through which a ticket purchaser can write a name on his ticket: a handle 25 for operating door 22: an original ticket discharge port 2d and tear bar 26 providing means for a purchaser to detach and remove his ticket; and a receiving tray 28 providing means to store the duplicate copies of the tickets which copies are to be used in subsequent ticket-drawing procedures or for some other record-keeping purpose. A remote selector unit 30, is connected to unit 12 by cord 3i, and is well known. It controls unit I2 by stepper motor means by controlling the number of times door 22 can be opened for a particular number of tickets purchased.

With reference to the ticket advancement mechanism 20 of FIGS. 4 through s, it is seen that frame Ill carries a ticket support assembly d2 which comprises a support plate M comprising two integral flanges 41b and 4h bent back upon, and substantially parallel to, plate 444 and forming means to restrain ticket sheet I8 along the edges of plate 4%. Flange as, and that portion of support plate 44 under flange each comprise a longitudinal slot 5E1 which provide passage means for pins 52. (FIG. '7).

Along each side of advance mechanism Zli, just below and outside of sliding door 22, are two serrated bars, i.e. a left rack as and a right rack ill. Mounted, on sliding door 22, for pivotal movement in and out of engagement with left rack ss is rearwardly trailing pawl 72. Similarly mounted, on sliding door 22, for pivotal movement in and out of engagement with right rack 7b is a forwardly trailing pawl 74. When pawl 72 is carried forward by the forward movement of door 22, it engages pawl actuator 76 and is thereby lifted out of engagement with rack 68. However, this engagement with pawl actuator 76 takes place only after pawl actuator 76, which is also mounted for movement with the door, is engaged and stopped during the last fractional inch of the pawls movement by front actuator stop 77 at which time the pawl is lifted to permit a return stroke. A rear actuator stop 79 is utilized to change the position of pawl actuator 76 (by movement of screw 81 in relation to slot 83) when the door is in fully retracted (open) position and thereby once more fit it to act as a ratchet in stopping rearward motion until the door is once more fully closed. The same arrangement is used on the right side of the apparatus to provide means to prevent reversal of the door during its opening. Thus when pawl 74 is carried to its backward position by the rearward movement of door 22, it engages pawl actuator 78 and is thereby lifted out of engagement with rack 70. Right from actuator stop 85 and right rear actuator stop 89 assist in this action in the same manner as the actuator stops on the left side.

With this arrangement, it is assured that sliding door 22 may never be reversed in direction until it is completely shut or, conversely, until it is completely open. This is so because pawl 74 opposes forward motion (i.e. closing motion) until the door is fully open at which time the pawl is lifted by actuator 78. Conversely, pawl 72 opposes rearward motion (i.e. opening motion) until the door is fully closed at which time the pawl is lifted by actuator 76 out of contact with rack 68.

Also mounted along the left side of sliding door 22 is a switch-operating bar cam 80 which is adapted to engage switch arm 82 of microswitch 84 mounted on frame 32. Microswitch 84 is used to release a solenoid-operated lock means after a ticket is dispensed from machine 12 by the advancement (i.e. closing) of sliding door 22 and the consequent advancement of bar cam 80 so microswitch 84 is allowed to return to a position wherein the aforesaid lock means is operable. Switch 84 is operated by a stepper relay in ticketdispensing control unit 30.

The ticket advancement of multiticket web 18, continuouschain 62, mounted along the left side of support plate 44, and pins 52 on which sheet 18 is mounted, is achieved by means of still another pawl, i.e. advancement pawl 86 mounted at a downward cant on sliding door 22. Pawl 86, resiliently mounted on a strip spring bracket 87, engages a link 88 of chain 62; and, therefore, when sliding door 22 is pulled forward also the resilient bracket 87 bears against chain 62 and provides sufficient play so that pawl 86 slides over chain 62 when door 22 is pulled back to opened position and only causes advancement when door 22 is pulled forward to closed position.

Support plate 44 also includes a downwardly bent lip 53 at the rear thereof to facilitate the smooth transaction of ticket sheet 18 through rotatably mounted guide rollers 55 and 57 onto plate 44.

Joumaled for rotatable movement over rear sprocket wheel 58 and front sprocket wheel 60 is a single continuous link-belt chain 62 carrying, attached to the inside thereof and carried on pin-support arms 63, the aforesaid pins 52. Ticket-engaging pins 52 of ticket-registration means 65 serve a plurality of functions, one of which is to engage perforations 64 along one side of ticket sheet 18 and thereby aid the proper-positioned movement of sheet 18 through the apparatus along the rectilinear, horizontal straight upper stretch 67.

Just in front of ticket-support assembly 42 is mounted a ticket separator plate 66 which intercepts the multilayered sheet 18 and directs the customers copy 18a under tear bar 26 while the duplicate 180 is carried into receiving tray 28.

In order to prevent forward travel of upper stretch 67 of chain 62 when force is exerted thereon by a customer tearing off his ticket, a sprocket 90 with collar 92 is provided which is joumaled at the right side on front shaft 94, the same shaft which sprocket wheel 60 is mounted.

This sprocket 90 looks shaft 94 by virtue of its engagement with outwardly extending edge 96 of door 22 when the door is in its forward or closed position.

A hand knob 98 is also secured to shaft 94 and this facilitates advance of chain 62 during the feeding of tickets during a ticket-loading operation or ticket-unloading operation.

As seen in FIG. 4, a solenoid-operated latch mechanism 100 normally engages a door stop member 102 and thereby prevents the opening of the door 22. When the solenoid 103 is actuated, latch 100 is pulled to the left against the bias of spring 104 attached to a bracket 106 on frame 32. This action frees stop member 102 and allows a machine operator to open door 22 by sliding handle 25 backwards.

A biased feeler arm 108 is mounted below ticket-support assembly 42 and, when no tickets restrain feeler arm 108, its movement causes a microswitch 110 to actuate a locking mechanism preventing use of the dispensing machine until a ticket supply is again restored to the machine.

It is to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for the intermittent dispensing of tickets from a continuous web of said tickets in serial order, said apparatus containing a ticket-advancement mechanism including a ticket-support assembly positioned beneath a sliding door having access means for writing on said ticket, the improvement wherein said sliding door is operatively connected to:

a resiliently mounted pawl adapted to engage and advance a continuous chain means on which said tickets are mounted for forward movement,

two racks mounted adjacent the sides of said sliding door,

two pawls pivotally mounted one on each side of said sliding door, one said pawl being adapted to engage one said rack and thereby prevent reversal of direction of said door while it is partially open, another said pawl being adapted to engage the other said rack and thereby prevent reversal of direction of said door while it is partially shut, and

said continuous chain means is a single, register pin chain operably connected to a single row of perforations on one side only of said web.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said pawl ac- V tuators are positioned for movement with said pawls on said door, between two pawl stops which are positioned over said rack, said pawl actuators being adapted to change their relative position with respect to said pawls when said actuators contact said actuator stops, thereby moving said pawls into rack-engaging and rack-disengaging position.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said ticket-support assembly comprises a plate having opposite inturned flanges each with a slot therein through which said web-engaging pins protrude to engage said web of tickets.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein:

said continuous chain includes a horizontal upper stretch having a series of pins for engaging perforations in said web of tickets and wherein:

said ticket-support assembly includes a longitudinal slot therein through which said sheet-engaging pins protrude to engage said web of tickets.

5. Apparatus for the intermittent dispensing of tickets from a web containing a number of said tickets, said apparatus comprising a ticket-advancement mechanism comprising:

A ticket-support assembly consisting of:

an integral sheet support plate downwardly bent at the rearmost portion thereof to facilitate the passage of a sheet of tickets thereto,

two integral side flanges bent back upon, and substantially parallel to, said plate, to thereby form channels to laterally position said web upon said plate, and

a longitudinal slot in one said side flange and in said plate for receiving and guiding sheet-engaging pins registered in registration apertures in the periphery of said web,

a continuous chaincarrying said ticket-engaging pins, said chain mounted on sprocket wheels proximate the front and back of said ticket-support assembly, and

operating means comprising a manually slidable door having a resiliently mounted pawl adapted to engage and advance said continuous chain on a feed stroke and to ride on said chain on a retraction stroke.

6. In remote controlled automatic ticket vending apparatus of the type having a ticket-dispensing unit with door means arranged to expose one ticket of a continuous web of tickets for inscription by a customer and a selector unit remote from said dispensing unit for controlling said unit the combination of:

ticket-registration means including a single endless chain,

having pins spaced therearound for registering with perforations along one side of said web, said chain having an elongated straight stretch extending substantially horizontally from front to rear of said unit under said web for positively assuring registration and advance of said web,

ticket-advancement mechanism including said door means in the form of an inverted, U-shaped plate, having an inscription access aperture therein, and slidable rectilinearly in parallelism with said horizontal path of said chain stretch, to expose a ticket on a retraction stroke and advance said chain with said ticket on a feed stroke, and

pawl and toothed rack means opera'bly connected to said plate to assure a full retraction stroke and a full feed stroke thereof.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent 3, Dated October 12, 1971 Donald' R. Richer Inventor(s) It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

On the cover sheet cancel "[73] Assignee Fort Howard Paper Company".

Signed and sealed this 14th day of March 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer USCOMM-DC B0376-P69 DRM PC4050 (10-69) v us, sovznumzu'r PRINTING crncz; Iss9 o-sssas4 

1. In an apparatus for the intermittent dispensing of tickets from a continuous web of said tickets in serial order, said apparatus containing a ticket-advancement mechanism including a ticket-support assembly positioned beneath a sliding door having access means for writing on said ticket, the improvement wherein said sliding door is operatively connected to: a resiliently mounted pawl adapted to engage and advance a continuous chain means on which said tickets are mounted for forward movement, two racks mounted adjacent the sides of said sliding door, two pawls pivotally mounted one on each side of said sliding door, one said pawl being adapted to engage one said rack and thereby prevent reversal of direction of said door while it is partially open, another said pawl being adapted to engage the other said rack and thereby prevent reversal of direction of said door while it is partially shut, and said continuous chain means is a single, register pin chain operably connected to a single row of perforations on one side only of said web.
 2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said pawl actuators are positioned for movement with said pawls on said door, between two pawl stops which are positioned over said rack, said pawl actuators being adapted to change their relative position with respect to said pawls when said actuators contact said actuator stops, thereby moving said pawls into rack-engaging and rack-disengaging position.
 3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said ticket-support assembly comprises a plate having opposite inturned flanges each with a slot therein through which said web-engaging pins protrude to engage said web of tickets.
 4. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein: said continuous chain includes a horizontal upper stretch having a series of pins for engaging perforations in said web of tickets and wherein: said ticket-support assembly includes a longitudinal slot therein through which said sheet-engaging pins protrude to engage said web of tickets.
 5. Apparatus for the intermittent dispensing of tickets from a web containing a number of said tickets, said apparatus comprising a ticket-advancement mechanism comprising: A ticket-support assembly consisting of: an integral sheet support plate downwardly bent at the rearmost portion thereof to facilitate the passage of a sheet of tickets thereto, two integral side flanges bent back upon, and substantially parallel to, said plate, to thereby form channels to laterally position said web upon said plate, and a longitudinal slot in one said side flange and in said plate for receiving and guiding sheet-engaging pins registered in registration apertures in the periphery of said web, a continuous chain carrying said ticket-engaging pins, said chain mounted on sprocket wheels proximate the front and back of said ticket-support assembly, and operating means comprising a manually slidable door having a resiliently mounted pawl adapted to engage and advance said continuous chain on a feed stroke and to ride on said chain on a retraction stroke.
 6. In remote controlled automatic ticket vending apparatus of the type having a ticket-dispensing unit with door means arranged to expose one ticket of a continuous web of tickets for inscription by a customer and a selector unit remote from said dispensing unit for controlling said unit the combination of: ticket-registration means including a single endless chain, having pins spaced therearound for registering with perforations along one side of said web, said chain having an elongated straight stretch extending substantially horizontally from front to rear of said unit under said web for positively assuring registration and advance of said web, ticket-advancement mechanism including said door means in the form of an inverted, U-shaped plate, having an inscription access aperture therein, and slidable rectilinearly in parallelism with said horizontal path of said chain stretch, to expose a ticket on a retraction stroke and advance said chain with said ticket on a feed stroke, and pawl and toothed rack means operably connected to said plate to assure a full retraction stroke and a full feed stroke thereof. 